BOCA RATON -- Construction barricades, flashing warning lights and flying dirt are as common on the streets of Boca Raton these days as traffic jams and sunburned tourists.

And chances are those conditions are not going to change for a while.

At least seven areas of the city are in the midst of road construction projects, and more than a dozen other projects are scheduled in coming years.

The reason for the continuing road construction is simply the amount of growth experienced by the city and its accompanying traffic demand, said Boca Raton City Engineer Henry Hillman.

This year has seen more than the usual number of road construction projects in the city, he said.

``It was a combination of elements that made these all fall in the same (budget) year,`` Hillman said. ``The city does about $2 million worth of road work a year, the (Florida Department of Transportation) moved some things up and Palm Beach County let three or four projects slip.``

While a lot of major construction will be coming to an end in the next year, new projects will begin, Hillman said.

For the city, this year will see the conclusion of a multiyear program to convert Northwest Second Avenue north of Palmetto Park Road from a two-lane street running through some of the city`s older residential areas into the four-lane divided and landscaped Boca Raton Boulevard.

The final 11 blocks of that project, from Spanish River Boulevard to Yamato Road, is scheduled to be completed around Aug. 1, Hillman said.

The biggest project inside the city -- rebuilding and widening Federal Highway from South 18th Street to Glades Road -- is scheduled to start wrapping up around Thanksgiving, with everything complete by spring of 1994, Hillman said.

In the city`s northwestern corner, work should be completed ``in about a month`` on the widening of Clint Moore Road between Military Trail and Jog Road past the north side of Broken Sound, Hillman said. This work is being done by Arvida as a part of its development obligation.

And the last section, for a while, of widening on Palmetto Park Road being done by Palm Beach County should be completed, except for striping, within the next couple of weeks, said Ed McClane of the county`s Traffic Division.

Final paving will have to cure for 30 days after its application this week, he said, before permanent striping can be put down and the road declared complete.

Meanwhile, construction crews are aiming for a September completion of the last section of Interstate 95 expansion, north from the Spanish River Boulevard overpass into Delray Beach.

That expansion eventually will run north to PGA Boulevard, said DOT planner Rich Periera. The current work, though, extends the expansion area through all of Boca Raton.

BOCA ROAD WORK

Streets under construction:

--Three segments of Federal Highway: widening to eight lanes from South 18th Street to Mizner Boulevard South; widening to a divided four-lane from Mizner Boulevard South to Mizner Boulevard North; widening to six lanes from Northeast Sixth Street to Glades Road.

--Palmetto Park Road, being widened by Palm Beach County to six lanes from west of the CSX railroad tracks to the Palmetto Square shopping center entrance.

--Interstate 95, being expanded by the Florida Department of Transportation from Spanish River Boulevard overpass to Linton Boulevard interchange to add commuter lanes; a new interchange to Congress Avenue; improvements to Congress to accommodate the interchange and a park-and-ride lot.

--Glades Road, where resurfacing is being done by the DOT from the El Rio Canal to Florida`s Turnpike, work to continue until August.

--Intersection of Northwest 12th Avenue and Northwest 13th Street, being improved by the city for better traffic flow.

--Boca Raton Boulevard (Northwest Second Avenue), being widened by the city to a four-lane divided road from Spanish River Boulevard to Yamato Road.

--Clint Moore Road, being widened by Arvida from west of Military Trail to east of Jog Road, as part of its Broken Sound development.

ROAD WORK

Streets in Boca Raton where construction is scheduled:

--Camino Real from Southwest Seventh Avenue to Southwest Second Avenue, widening by Palm Beach County to four lanes scheduled for the 1993-94 budget year.

--Camino Real at Southwest 12th Avenue, intersection improvements by the city scheduled later this year.

--Northeast 20th Street from Dixie Highway to Federal Highway, reconstruction by the city of four-lane roadway scheduled for 1994-95.

--Federal Highway and Northeast 20th Street intersection, reconfiguration of the intersection by the city scheduled for 1995-96.

--Three projects on Spanish River Boulevard: widening by the city to four lanes from the El Rio Canal to Dixie Highway, widening to four lanes from Military Trail to I-95 and turn-lane improvements at Military Trail, all scheduled for 1995-96.